Get Some Friends…Loneliness is Bad for Your Health

Starting off a “real life” in a new city far from home after recently graduating college in May can be a very scary and lonely experience. Take it from me, I am currently doing it right now.

By Abby

Having to make adult decisions and worry about things like finding a reasonable apartment to rent or what kind of medical benefits your job will have were possibly the last things on my mind as a carefree college student just four months ago.

And to add more sting to the wound, I have to hear about everyone going back to school.

My younger friends all have away messages up such as “Back at it! Pregaming, then out” or “Fall Semester Kick Off Party.” I sit in my tiny apartment and cringe with jealousy when I read posts like The First Day of School or My Freshman Year: Day One. I lament with my fellow graduates who are working as well and miles away over IM or email.

Somehow, it’s just not the same as stumbling into their rooms at 3 am when we all lived in a sorority house together.

Well, not only does loneliness suck, but it’s bad for your health as well. A recent article I read described how researchers had found that “loneliness may accelerate the rate of physical decline that occurs naturally with age.” Great!

So, not only do I feel old because I am a college graduate, but now, my current state of mind could be aging me even faster…AHHH!

Also, the article said that, “While lonely people seem to get as much sleep as the non-lonely, the quality of their sleep is not as good. Waking often during the night, they are often still tired when they get up in the morning. With less quality sleep, lonely people report more daytime dysfunction.”

Moral of the story: If you are in my position, do everything you can to make new friends and meet new people, no matter how awkward the situations might be. Go to everything you are invited to and never miss out on an opportunity to build a strong social network. If you are still in college or just starting out, realize how important great friendships are to your college experience and appreciate every opportunity you have to just lay around with friends. The real world will come soon enough and you will miss those amazing times with the people you love most.